Free and Low-Cost Doula Programs in New York City

You live in the city and money is tight

Maybe you are pregnant in the Bronx or Brooklyn and someone told you doulas are only for families who can pay out of pocket. That is not the whole picture. New York City and New York State both run programs that can connect you with a doula at no cost, if you qualify.

This guide sorts out who each program is for and how to start. Program rules change, so call or check the official page before you count on any of them. If you are comparing every way to pay, including private insurance and HSA or FSA funds, see our guide to ways to pay for a doula.

The Citywide Doula Initiative

The Citywide Doula Initiative (CDI) is run by the NYC Health Department. The city says it provides professional, no-cost doula services to residents of neighborhoods especially affected by COVID-19. Its doulas help you prepare your childbirth plans, support you during labor and birth, and help you care for your newborn.

To enroll, the city says you must meet both of these requirements:

• Live in a Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity neighborhood, or in a shelter or foster home anywhere in NYC, or be a teen parent anywhere in NYC.
• Be income-eligible for Medicaid.

Who the program puts first, and how to sign up

The city also says CDI gives priority to people who have aged out of foster care, have no other labor support, are giving birth for the first time or the first time in at least 10 years, had a previous traumatic birth, or have a high-risk medical condition. You do not need to fit a priority group to ask.

To see if you qualify or to enroll, call 844-OK-DOULA (844-653-6852), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or email cdi@health.nyc.gov. The city page also lists community programs that provide services as part of CDI, each limited to certain ZIP codes. If you are eligible, you may contact one of them directly.

Call as early in pregnancy as you can, so there is time to sort out eligibility and get to know your doula before labor. Have your address, due date and Medicaid status ready when you call.

Good questions for that first call: Does my address or ZIP code qualify? Will I meet my doula before labor? Does the support continue after the baby comes home? What happens if I give birth at a hospital outside my borough? Write the answers down with the date and the name of the person you spoke with.

Other city programs: home visits and hospital-based doulas

CDI is part of the city's New Family Home Visits Initiative. Through it, a trained health worker such as a nurse, doula or community health worker visits a pregnant parent or a family with a young child, in person or virtually. The city says these programs focus on families in TRIE neighborhoods, public housing and families getting support from the Administration for Children's Services, and that each program has its own eligibility.

Besides CDI, the initiative includes the Newborn Home Visiting Program and the NYC Nurse-Family Partnership. To check if you are eligible, the city lists 347-396-7979. Home visitors offer education and referrals on topics like feeding, safe sleep, car seats and getting a crib or diapers.

The city's Doula Care page also lists no-cost programs by borough. One is the HoPE Doula Care Program for people getting care at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst or Queens hospitals. The page says you can ask your prenatal provider for a referral, and it lists two programs that offer paid services on a sliding scale.

New York Medicaid: the statewide route

If you have New York Medicaid, the state says you can get doula care at no cost during pregnancy and up to 12 months after, with a Medicaid-enrolled doula. That covers up to 8 visits before and after birth plus support during childbirth. This applies across the state, not only in the city, and you do not need to live in a TRIE neighborhood.

The details, including the managed care rule that started April 1, 2025, are in our guide to New York Medicaid doula coverage. The state's doula directory can be filtered by county, including the Bronx, New York (Manhattan) and Kings (Brooklyn).

If you have private insurance instead, the city's Doula Care page notes that some private insurance companies cover at least part of doula costs, and that a pre-tax account such as an HSA or FSA may help. Ask your plan what it covers and what paperwork it needs.

If you live in Westchester or Connecticut, or none of this fits

The city programs above are for New York City. If you live in Westchester or Putnam County, the New York Medicaid doula benefit still applies if you have Medicaid, and the state directory lists doulas by county. If you live in Connecticut, your Medicaid is HUSKY Health, which covers doulas certified by the state Department of Public Health. For home visits after birth, see our guide to newborn home visiting programs.

Northeast Doulas is a private practice that families hire directly, and it serves families in Westchester, Fairfield County and New York City. To use a city program, you go through that program itself. Hiring starts with an intake call, then a match with a doula and an in-person interview. Our NYC doula page describes the labor and postpartum support offered in the city, and you can contact the office to ask about it.

If you do not qualify for a free program and private care is not possible right now, talk with your prenatal provider. Ask about hospital support people, childbirth classes and any community resources they know. A doula is one kind of support, and it is not the only one.